By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

The Nigeria Transportation Commissioners Forum, NTCF has issued an urgent directive to all state ministries of transportation to accelerate actions that will unlock transformative projects and secure World Bank financing.
This is coming on the background of the just concluded National Urban Mobility Program, NUMP stakeholder forum held in Abuja.
The forum, chaired by Engr. Olugbenga Dairo, brought together commissioners, governors’ representatives, and international partners in an atmosphere of collaborative urgency.
World Bank Country Director, Mathew Vergis, warned that Nigeria’s urban population is projected to more than double to 264 million by 2050, with congestion already draining up to four hours daily from commuters in major cities. He stressed that the Bank stands ready to move beyond analysis, offering financing, technical expertise, and convening power to translate ambition into actionable projects that create jobs and foster inclusive growth.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, DrAbdulateef Shittu, who represented Chairman Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, welcomed the program’s ambitious design but cautioned that implementation must confront political realities, including federal-state coordination challenges, transport union pressures, and capacity gaps. He called for clarity on financial terms, the balance between grants and loans, and long-term maintenance responsibilities.
In response, the NTCF directed states to immediately identify and submit details of bankable, shovel-ready infrastructure projects for Phase 1 investment, with submissions to be channeled through the Forum for onward transmission to the World Bank. States yet to complete their NUMP engagement surveys were told to comply without delay, while those benefiting from the Nigeria Public Transportation Program (NPTP) must integrate existing assets such as terminals, rail, and CNG infrastructure into their proposals.
The Forum is also advancing discussions to place NUMP on the agenda of the upcoming Governors’ meeting, a move seen as critical to securing political commitment and driving the program forward. Commissioners from Abia, Cross River, Edo, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Adamawa, Gombe, Ogun, Kano, and Benue were commended for their active participation, while presentations from Cross River, FCT, Kaduna, and Lagos were singled out as particularly impactful in shaping next steps.